Improvement in flange-plow and ice-cutter for railway-tracks



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. O; W. O0LONY.- Flange-Plow and Ice-Gutter for Railway-Track.

- No. 215,575. Patented May 20,1879.

i a a IVWITNESSES I v TOR ATTORN EY N FETERS, FHOT/J-UTHOGRAPHER WASI'HNGYON. D C,

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

U. W.'OOLONY. V Flange-Plow and Ice-Gutter for Railway-Trapk.

No. 215,575. Patente d'Ma y 20,1879.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY v N. PETERS, P Oi'U-LITHOGRAPHER. WASWNGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. COLONY, OF SANDY GREEK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO EDGAR A. KENYON, ADAMS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLANGE-PLOW AND ICE-CUTTER FORRAILWAY-TRACKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,575, dated May 20, 1879; applicationiiled March 8, 1879.

tion of a side view of my improved trackclearer. Fig. 2 is a front-end view thereof. Fig. 4 is a top view of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the cutting-wheel; and Fig. 3 is a modification of the working parts of the clearer.

This invention has relation to improvements in means for clearing railroad-tracks of snow and ice and the nature of the invention consists in cetain novel combinations of the parts of the device, as will be hereinafter morefully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designates a strong rectangular frame, affording bearings at each end to a shaft, B, upon which are applied in any suitable manner the front and rear transporting-wheels, G 0. Usually the latter wheels do not differ from ordinary car-wheels but the former, instead of the plain flange usually employed, have chisel-1i ke teeth a, which cut out the snow and ice from the inside of the rail, and form a groove at that point that receives the flanges of the wheels of the train and prevents the wheels from riding the track.

The toothed wheels are inclined, as shown .in Figs. 2 and 4, the inclination being from the track inward. These toothed flanges may be cast with the wheels; but I prefer to make them separate and in parts or sections I), so

standards at being secured thereto in any suitable manner, and the i said standards extendin g up above the beams and engaging a slot in the outer ends of the manipulating-levers E. These extend inward to the middle portion of the frame, and are connected together at their inner ends by a hinge-joint, a.

6 indicates a slide plate, arranged after the manner of a sash between the guides e, secured to the frame in any suitable manner, and arranged in the length of the same, as shown in Fig. 1. The hinge-pin of joint to extends through the space between the guides e, and is screwed into or otherwise secured to the slide.

F indicates a horizontally-vibrating lever, the power end of which is connected to the upper end of the hinge-pin f by means of a connecting-rod, F. This lever has its fulcrum on the upright or post .g, and when its power end is thrust back causes the beam-shafts to rotate in their bearings and the plows to be raised from the track.

It indicates roller-gages rotating upon the ends of the inclined shafts s, rigidly and adjustably secured to the beam-shafts in front of the plows. These gages bear against the inside of the tread of the rail, preferably, in order to avoid packing the snow ahead of the plow, and are designed to raise the plow sufficiently to clear all ordinary obstructions, as the end of a rail at a joint and the like. Should they, however, strike an obstruction, the plows swing inward and yield rearwardly until it is cleared, when they return automatically to their places, because of the reaction of the springs S, secured at one end to the front of the frame and at the other to the top of the standards of the roller-gages, and of the springs S on the beam-shafts, between the standard of the plow and the rear bearing of said shafts.

The inclination of the plows to the track is regulated by means of a setscrew, h, arranged at the rear end of the guides in a screwseat, k, and bearing against the levers E atv through suitable gearin gs from the gage-wheel. In this modification the plow is set to throw the snow between the rails.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for clearing snow and ice from railroad-tracks, the oblique transportingwheels having their flanges serrated to cut out the ice or snow under the rail-heads, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the frame A, having Ways 6 and slide 0, of the endwise movable and rotating shaft-s D, having plows P, and

gage-rollers h in front of said plows, the toggle-jointed levers E, a hinge-pin,f, extending through said levers and engaging the slide 0, a connecting-rod F, lever F, and springs S S, all arranged and operating substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

' CHARLES W. COLONY.

Witnesses:

M. M. EARL, W. H. MGKEE. 

